A very long winter of discontent threatens all European governments

Sacrifice for a better world is an attitude that has long disappeared from the radar of most humans. “Life is now, I want to enjoy it now”, is the slogan of a generation that doesn’t care about the hardships their forefathers went through to create better conditions for those who came after them. A feeling that thrives these days in Europe. In the same situation where millions died fighting for freedom 80 years ago, today its citizens are not ready to do the same, not even for three months. They demand less weapons Ukraine And more heat to get through the winter. They did not tolerate a inflammation 10% per annum and bring down governments. Europe is facing the longest winter of discontent.

The British Prime Minister resigned on Thursday. Liz Dress, After just 44 days in power, he sounded all the warnings and sent a clear signal of the political dangers that all governments on the continent (and the world) must face if they do not control inflation and the erosion of living standards, regardless of the reasons.

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The European average of annual inflation reached 10.9%, compared to 3.6% at this point last year. But in some countries it has already reached the level of Argentina. Estonia 24% walking per year, Hungary 20% and Republic of Che Almost 18%. Europeans are not used to this kind of price gouging and resistance in the markets and on the main roads. French President Emmanuel Macron endured a general strike and massive demonstrations this week. French unions demand a special tax on companies that made disproportionate profits during the war, the French government opposes but agrees Jean Luc MelechonPresident of the late France Insumisa and recent Nobel Prize for Literature, Annie Ernox.

Strikes at refineries are causing many French gas stations to run out of fuel. Tankers are asking for a 10% hike to offset the effects of inflation. TotalEnergies reached a 5% deal with two major unions, but the general confederation of workers refused, extending the strike at at least five refineries in the country over the next few days. In addition, do Macron It is difficult for him to approve the budget for 2023. He does not have an absolute majority in the assembly. The opposition is represented by the right wing Marine Le Pen And Mélechon makes things difficult for the president. If a motion of censure is tabled by a united opposition, the French, already dissatisfied with the economic situation, could face another election.

In August, Macron called on people to bear economic hardship in a show of solidarity with Ukraine, and security measures have cut French energy use by 14%. Macron said it was France’s duty to “accept the price of our freedom and our values”. Something that seems distant now. Despite general opposition to Russia, “public opinion is very divided” on the question of sacrificing purchasing power to support Ukraine, explained one study’s co-author Adrian Broch. To bear the economic consequences of war.

The fall of Truce across the English Channel brought cold sweat to the backs of all European leaders. If they do nothing, inflation will eat them away; If they take drastic measures, the markets eat them up. That is what happened when the then Chancellor of the Exchequer. Quasi Kwarteng, announced plans for tax cuts and massive spending, financed by debt. Amid the islands’ highest inflation and rising interest rates in four decades, the plan, presented without any independent valuation, was seen by markets as a breach of the island’s reputation for financial reliability. Britain. The pound fell to an all-time low and yields on government bonds rose so violently that the central bank was forced to intervene to prevent a crisis in the pension fund sector.

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Eventually, Truss fired Quarteng and replaced him Jeremy Hunt, the markets began to calm as his predecessor completely reversed his policies. But faith in the government has already completely eroded. It ended the shortest government in English history. Now the conservative Tories are looking for an alternative, refusing to call a general election as Labor is demanding. And, also, some people think that the solution should be taken again Boris Johnson A Downing Street.

“We’ve already seen it in World War I, World War II and the ’70s. The inflationary spiral that unleashed massive protests. Nothing good happened then, and nothing good can be expected now,” Kurt Wandel of the European Trade Union Institute commented in an interview published in the European edition of the New York Times.

In Italy, the pressure to renegotiate cheap gas from Russia and forget about the European alliance to protect Ukraine is huge. The incoming neo-fascist government Georgia Meloney Efforts should be made to reduce the blow of inflation without increasing the already bloated deficit. Unions want the government to increase subsidies for energy and even for fertilizers produced from gas or potash from Russia. Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, has already warned that higher deficits would “spook international markets, raise interest rates and hurt Italians”. He also promised that any breakup in Europe would be a victory for Vladimir Putin.

But this sect has already penetrated the peninsula. Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, recasting himself as the populist hero of southern Italy’s poor, announced on November 5 that he would join a large demonstration demanding peace and an end to arms exports to Ukraine. Major newspapers in Rome and Milan say that what he is asking for is the surrender of Ukraine. For now, Meloni is vowing to keep a tough stance against Russia, despite the fact that his coalition includes Matteo Salvini, the populist right-wing leader who wears T-shirts with Putin’s face printed on them, and the inexplicable Silvio Berlusconi. He was recorded as “one of Putin’s five or six best friends” and blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia’s invasion.

In Germany, the prospect of spending the winter without heating scares many. For 20 years, Germans enjoyed very low gas and electricity bills thanks to Putin’s cheap energy. It allowed the political class to pass over the head of the Kremlin rather than a barbarian. And consumers are using subsidized energy, which is now very difficult to replace.

In the eastern part of the country, which has lived under communism for nearly half a century, the greatest needs are concentrated and the people are more conservative. That’s where tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest high prices and support Ukraine in the war. It’s been a long time since the Left has been attuned to the complaints of the Right here. In Leipzig, about 1,300 protesters gathered in the city center, holding banners that read: “Our country first.” Sentiment is high: 67% of Germans worry about rising living costs, up 16% from last year.

The announcement of a 200 billion euro aid package by the German tripartite government eased some popular concerns, with promises of lower gas and electricity prices and direct aid to struggling households and businesses. Germany also gave in this Friday and agreed to cap gas prices for the entire European Union, as proposed by Spain, Italy and Belgium. Europe will pay the maximum for gas moved, slightly more than China pays, and will make joint purchases. A move unthinkable until Russian gas disappeared from German kitchens. It remains to be seen whether the East Germans will comply with their government’s decision.

Meanwhile, a European solidarity movement is starting to emerge with Ukrainians who want to “spend the winter like the old days”: two woolen sweaters indoors and a hot water bottle by the bed. Although it doesn’t seem like a lifestyle most Europeans would be willing to accept even for one winter. Even if an even bigger threat looms on the horizon, such as Iran, which is already at war and maintains advisers. Revolutionary Guard The Islamic State in Crimea has helped Putin use the kamikaze drones he sold and are causing so much damage to Ukrainian civilians.

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